Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-24
THE WHEEL CASE.
What the Medical Experts Say-The
Prosecutions Rebuttal.

Inc taxing OF leStlIuohy Ia LIZ -
Josephine Wheel for murder, was resumed
by the defense on Saturday. There was
the usual crowd of interested spectators
that had thronged the Courtroom from the
commencement of the trial, but Judge Will
son made an order that only those could
remain who occupied seats, owing to the
noise made by persons pushing their way
through the crowd on the preceding day.
The defendant, with her babe, occupied
her accustomed place, accompanied by
members of her family and TRENDS; Inc
defense had closed its testimony on Friday,
with the exception of such facts as 1t sought
to prove by medical experts.
The first witness called was Dr. farkln-
son, City Physician, to whom Mr.. Johnson
submitted the following hypothetical 9ues-
| ton, or series of questions
Suppose, doctor, there was a young
woman, 20 wears of age, always cheerful,
| fond of dress, of society, OF parties, OF
dances rather remarkable for her good
spirits, attentive to her household duties,
careful of her dress and appearance, loving
| in her relations with brothers and sisters,
a quiet and regular sleeper, healthy and OF
good flesh, and that she is carnally known
by man against her will in February;
that Immediately following and contin-
iously thereafter her whole character seems
changed; she no longer cares for dress, nor
society, nor parties, nor dances; she Is al
ways low-spirited and melancholy, ire
quently weeping without apparent cause;
inattentive to her household duties; untidy
in her dress and appearance; forgetful OF
her work: sleepless to a great degree, fire.
auently getting out of her bed at night and
walking the floor and moaning and fretting;
Directing strongly to going upon the street
avoiding the society of brother who had
formerly been one of her favorltes; ana
that, as she becomes convinced of her preg
nancy from the act done to her in Febru
ary) these symptoms increase in force, and
she loses flesh and strength; and that, as
she becomes more aware OF her c0ndltlon,
she visits the man responsible therefor and
begs and entreats him to marry her, which
he refuses. She calls upon officers and
a Judge to aid her, and when relating her
story is remarked by them to act strangely
and unnaturally, and to have a peculiar
expression in her eyes, and when the final
refusal of the man to marry her IS COM
municated to her, she became hyster
ica and that during the converse
tons with the Judge she had con-
suited she makes threats, in wild and
peculiar manner, accompanied by hyster-
ical laughter, that she will kill the author
of her shame; that after final refusal on
his part she acts more strangely than ever;
that the next day she DISCUSSES herself and
shoots the man who had wronged her,
although she had never fired a pistol or
gun before, and that in the preparations
for and consummation of such act of shoot
ing she showed unusual cunning; and
that after her arrest, she acts in an unnat-
ural manner, with an unprecedented cool
ness and calmness, detailing unasked every
particular of her actions and thoughts,
while her eyes have peculiar and glazing
appearance and that, from the date of the
shooting to the birth of her child, in No
vember, she manifested no change for the
better in her appearance, or conduct, or
manner, or language; and that, after the
birth of her child there was a partial return
to her condition before the act of February |
with the added condition that she sits for |
hours at a time with her hands folded |
doing nothing, saying nothing, but looking |
at her baby; and that at no time has she |
seemed to realize her position or the act she |
committed. What would you say as to her
mental condition at the time she committed |
the act of shooting?
The witness reply was that these cir
cumstances would indicate mental derange |
ment. In general terms the witness adj |
hered to his answers on cross-examination. |
One of the jurors asked if there be a |
latent trait of insanity in woman, would |
it be more apt to develop during pregnancy |
than at other times, and the physician gave
an emphatic response in the affirmative, |
because the condition of pregnancy would |
have tendancy to increase and develop |
the insanity.
The defense next called DR.. G. NJ. Dixon,
to whom Mr.. Johnson read the same hy- |
pothetical question propounded to DIR. |
Parkinson, and witness replied substan-
TALLY TO the same effect.
On cross examination witness said that |
the circumstances embraced in Mr.. John |
sons question showed a case of emotional |
arrangement. There was a feeling of re- |
lief and satisfaction, said witness, in the |
mind of the woman, after the act of the
shooting was over. The witness said he
had given the question of insanity some
consideration, and had treated insane pa
TENTS
The father of the defendant was next
called to establish the date of the birth of
defendants child. which he said was on
the Sth of November, 1886.
AT the afternoon session the defense
called Walter Mas'in who stated that last
February, the Goth of that month, the de-
PENDANT called at his house in Davisyille,
and he noticed scratches on her face. The
scratches appeared to have been done by
fingers.
The defense here rested, and the prosecu-
ton called Louis Kucher, in rebuttal. The
witness IS young man 81 years of age,
and brother of defendants brother-in-
law This witness Is said to be rather
weak-minded, the result of long continued
illness, and admitted that such is the fact.
His testimony, in brief, was that defendant
who was at his house one evening
asked him to accompany her to the Gram
mar School grounds, as she desired to see
Klein 20 get something from him. Wit
Gess said that he entered closet, so as
not to be seen by Klein; that Miss Wheel
and Klein met and occupied a seat for some
time when the former came to the build
ing for the purpose of getting drink from
a hydrant; that in order to reach the n.y.
drant she had to pass through a sort of
hallway connected with the closet wherein
witness was secreted; that Klein followed
her in there, and committed the act claimed
to have been an assault; that witness told
him few minutes afterward that he had
his opinion of him, and that the girl re-
marked, "Now Jake will have to marry
me-" When asked if there was any uader-
standing between Miss Wheel and witness
as to what he might be expected to witness.
if ANYTHING, witness said there was not. He
testified that the defendant made little or
no outcry during the alleged act of rape,
but that she dits-cry while on the way
home.
Albert Weisler cousin of Klein, the de-
ceased, was called to prove that the alleged
assault occurred on the 18th day Of March,
instead of near the 1st of February, as he
claimed to have been present at Kleins
house that night when Mrs. Wheel called
to demand satisfaction of Klein.
Z. A. Garlichs was called for the same
purpose
At 8 o'clock the Court adjourned until
this morning at 10 o'clock.
Revival Services by DIR. Mcdonald.
The Rev. William Mcdonald, D. D., of
Boston, President of the National Camp
Meeting Association, preached yesterday at
the Sixth-street NJ. E. Church, morning
and evening. DR.. Mcdonald is making
brief stay in this city conducting union
revival service for the Sixth-street and
TantraI NJ II Churches His services have